[Wind Reach] The First Thaw Festival

[Vanir]

Vanir heard the girl explain she was going to leave Wind Reach. She asked if he had dreamed of adventures outside Wind Reach, and going places where castes didn't matter. "I have thought about it, but you have to remember the dangers that await outside of here, here we are safe and protected, everyone's needs are met. Everyone is fed and protected. When you think about it, here it is a bit of a paradise." He replied He paused for a brief moment then began to talk. "I do hate being a Dek, and it would be wonderful to go to a place where I could be respected, where I would be treated as an actual person! To me, that could make braving through the mountains worth it." He said, sighing after he finished. He thought more about wether life outside of Wind Reach would be better. Vanir was puzzled. Should he stay in the safety and care of Wind Reach? Or should he travel outside, with mysteries at each turn? With a chance that he could find a place where he would be treated as a human! Not the slave the Inarta saw him as. It was a hard descison, both choices had some cons and some pros. He looked around, seeing what he would miss if he did leave Wind Reach.

[Beau]

Only a sly smile was offered as the Endal took a guess at his hint, neither confirmatory, or misleading, just amusement at the reaction. There was a subtle grace about Amon that he'd never really seen in other riders before, like he'd known his whole life he'd be an Endal. Maybe it was just his imagination, or a little star struck stupidity, but either way it was admirable. Still, in Beau's eyes, such decorum was a little confining. Life was so full of things to see and do, music to play, wine kegs to drain.....and pretty girls to dance with....his eyes floated back from the crowd before them and to the man beside of him. There was a balance he always tried to maintain between the desire to do outlandish and crazy things, and being a real class act. He snapped out of his meandering thoughts when Amon addressed him directly again. "I can shoot an arrow straight enough, but I'm still learning. I'm more focused in falconry though, apprenticing under Jacien. I would have my raven here but knowing him he'd do something stupid, or a little too smart, and get himself defeathered in a heartbeat. And it's not so much cleaning up after the birds that bothers me, it's part of the territory with falconry. It's being around people who aren't as intrigued by them as I am. The eagles are fantastic but the smaller raptors still hold my attention. Did you know that a goshawk can," Beau had started to explain some fascinating tidbit of information by stepping a little closer to demonstrate with his free hand, when Kellan materialized next to them. "Kellan." He gave him a small nod and backed up a little so there would be room to talk between them. Content to let their conversation carry out it's course he sipped from his cup, savoring the flavor of the wine, and letting his foot tap out the rhythm to the music. He wasn't sure what he'd do next. Too bad he couldn't dance and fiddle at the same time. Again he retrieved his head from the clouds to find a gap in the conversation. He pointed a finger at Kellan, laughter flickering in his eyes. "Oi, look brother. I know we agreed on peaceable war over Alwin but if you try to partner up with me when I've got a little dance thing on my arm we're going to have a talk." His soft chuckling was lost in the surrounding din but it wasn't hard to see he was just making innocent threats. Just as Amon's affectionate friend joined them he leaned over and whispered to Kellan. "I'll bet you half of my next meal I can get a trun around the floor with what ever lady you point out, except this one. Are you game for it? Or are you to scared of missing a meal?"

[Amon]

There was always a sense of confidence and reassurance simmering in the Endal's very blood. He knew and had to be competent in his abilities to provide sustenance for himself and for his people and it brought him great joy to do so. His tone of voice reflected this as he responded to the younger Beau. "You could be my little brother, you talk so much and so readily!" He laughed, heartily slapping the boy on the back. "I understand your passion for falconry, and I wish that it had been my calling, to be honest. But I guess archery had a stronger voice. Just hearing such things from you makes me want to take it up all that much more." He smiled, honestly proud that Beau was so passionate about his chosen path. He liked seeing the determination in people's words and actions, it made his mind feel far more at ease when he was surrounded with like-minded individuals. And he listened, with fascination even, as Beau began to explain just what a goshawk can do. A few words muttered from another fiery haired stranger and Amon's eyes fell on Kellan. "Hello, there! I suppose your name is Kellan?" He grasped his shoulder in greeting, grinning lightheartedly. "Sakima is doing just fine. As reserved as usual, but he likes to fuss around sometimes. How are you doing with Alwin? I see the rivals are getting along just fine." Playful tones, but there was no hint of hidden aggression. He lifted his wine glass once more, only to find it was empty, and his disappointment was evident. It was quickly wiped away, however, when he realized that his waving had, indeed, caught the attention of the lovely Chemar, who approached him with an affectionate kiss and graced him with her soft spoken words. "Ah yes, the lovely Chemar has finally made her appearance! This is Kellan, he gestured towards him, "and this is Beau. They're promising candidates. They've got the spunk and the mind set to get what they want." There was a pause as he placed a hand gently on her waist. "And you, my lady? How fairs your sister? Or your Dreaming Lady spa, for the matter? It's been ages since I've last been there."

[Kovac]

Kovac's gaze darted from Haya's curious green-gold to Cyrill's clear hazel eyes. The artisan had chosen to champion the Drudge, though Haya had shown she could hold her own against him. The archer could smell the wine in Cyrill's glass, see the hint of its stain on her lips. Wine would do him well right now, its comforting embrace would bolster his mood. The two women, in an unlikely alliance against him, seemed to challenge Kovac with honey-coated sass. The dynamics were too interesting to pass by, and he decided to fully engage. The Avora's blank stare remained settled for a moment on Cyrill. "Of course it was not a hint, just a poignant observation." The edge of his mouth rising in a lopsided grin. He turned the ornery smile back to Haya. "You may ask a question of me, Dru....Haya. But I desperately desire a glass of wine, if we could work out way in that direction." Note : Sorry it is so short, but wanted to get something in to keep us moving!

[Haya]

Kovac’s expression was mirrored for a second, but she gave him a nod. This would give her a little time to think of an appropriate question. Haya stepped aside though, letting both Avora take lead so she could closely follow in their footsteps. That was far easier than to try and navigate through the crowd on her own.

By the time they’d managed to reach the far end of the Stained Glass Gallery, Haya had made up her mind. She let her cane rest against the edge of the table on which the drinks were presented, enabling herself to pour not one, but two glasses of wine. While carefully handing one over to Kovac she spilled her question. “Am I of practical use?”

The drudge tilted her head slightly to the side, curious for what the halfblood’s answer might be. Identifying herself with the depiction on her medallion, and thus referring to it with ‘I’ instead of ‘it’ only enhanced the duality of her question, but that had been her intention. She knew many thought of the people in her caste as useless, but as a matter of fact, the whole of Wind Reach depended on them to get a great deal of work done. And though Kovac’s answer would surely be related to the wood on her back, his expression might give her a little insight on his thoughts regarding the other topic.

note :

Doing it again, sorry Cyrill! Wish I could think of something to focus on your character a bit more >_o

[Cyrill]

Cyrill raised her eyebrow at Haya’s question. She had certainly phrased it in an interesting way… After Kovac had given Haya an answer, Cyrill decided that she might as well ask the man her own question. After all, they were allowed a question per person, not per meeting. She mulled the question over in her mind carefully before she spoke. She wanted to narrow down the list that she had built in her mind as much as possible. She already knew that the thing couldn’t move… Cyrill found herself smiling slightly. It was just like forming a piece of glass. You started out with an ambiguous shape and the more you worked on it, the more defined and detailed it became. “Is it white in color?” she asked him, indicating the medallion pinned to her back. OOC: : It's alright. Oh, and Kovac - Cyrill has hazel eyes, not blue

[Kellan Lucia]

Kellan heard Beaus’s playful whisper and was feeling up to the bet. He wasn’t much of a gambler but still he gave Beau a deviant smile ”You got it bro.” He purred into beau’s ear. He did not know why he took on the bet. Maybe it was because he was a little bit drunk, maybe it was the whole atmosphere of the First Thaw, but what ever the reason was he accepted and now he had to go through with it. He scanned the festival looking for someone to point out to Beau. He considered Haya the lowly dek from lunch. She would be hard to dance with due to her cane and bad leg. Also, she was a bit of a rebellious one. She sort of pissed Kellan off in the say that she stood up against him. That said a lot about her considering it took a lot to piss off Kellan. He was a very easy going guy but one thing was for certin. He was prideful and he did not like, under any circumstances a dek showing him up. He was sure Cyrill would accept Beau’s offer for the simple fact that she was just a very kind person. She was definitely off the list for that reason. He continued to look around at the people gathered. Maybe the kelvic girl, Rosalie, who had moved into town. Of course, she would be open to anyone asking her to dance because she was so new and didn’t know anyone. His hunt continued for a while until Amon spoke up. Kellan nodded as Amon asked about his name. “Things are going well with Alwin. He is a magnificent bird of course. He is the first eagle I have ever really spent time with. I have seen my father’s eagle on many occasions but it is not the same as being with an eagle that could possibly be yours of course. They really are beautiful creatures. Beau is a tough opponent though. I know he wants this badly but who ever gets to bond with Alwin will be lucky. I just really want to be up in the sky. I’ve seen my father up there so many times and I want to be up there too. It just feels right you know?” he said. Kellan took notice to Chemar as she joined the group. He smiled at her and waved as Amon introduced them. “It is nice to meet you, I am Kellan.” he said. Kellan started to look around at the women gathered again. He knew that Chemar was out of the question because Beau clearly started that she was. There was Dalena who seemed to secluded within herself to let any guy dance with her, let alone talk to her. Of course, she was talking to Rosalie. There was also Aislinn but she was like Cyrill in the way that she was so kind that she would dance with any guy who asked her. It was evident because she was conversing with Vanir of all people. So Cyrill and Aislinn where out of the running for this bet. He was not going to lose dinner over this one. The choice came down to Haya or Dalena. Haya, who seemed to have something out to prove against the Endal or Dalena who had built a wall around herself that she was determined to keep up and keep everyone out. He decided to choose Dalena. She did not seem to like to talk to people or even be around them. He pointed to Dalena “How about Dalena. She is such a social young girl.” Kellan whispered in Beau’s ear with a sly smile. “I hope they serve something good tomorrow because it looks like I have a big meal ahead of me.”

[Kovac]

Spearheading their move across the crowded hall, Kovac reached the wine table first. He looked for a place to set his plate, even though he had devoured most of its contents on the jaunt from the buffet to the beverages. By the time Kovac had shoved more meat and bread into his mouth and found a corner to stash his plate, Haya had already poured him a glass and held it out to him. The girl's gesture, again, caught him off guard, and Kovac was again staring blankly at Haya before accepting the offered wine. He gave her a tentative grin around his stuffed mouth. When the slight woman posed her question, the abrasive archer was taken back. He did not expect it to be phrased with such a personal tone. For an instant, he was not sure if Haya was referring to the medallion or herself. His eyes darted to Cyrill, seeing the Avora woman's eyebrows raise with interest. His gaze turned back to Haya, her eyes probing him uncomfortably. The Drudge behaved very much the opposite of what he considered to be typical for someone of the Dek, though in truth, he had not taken the time to get to know many. This one had thrown him for a loop. He swallowed and cleared his throat. "No, not of any practical use." He muttered without a touch of humor on his face. Then Kovac, to his own alarm, added, "...but not valueless." Not valueless? He was not sure what compelled him to add it. Gods, they were getting to him. Kovac was suddenly grateful that Cyrill spoke up with her own question. He pulled his eyes from Haya's and leaned around to see the medallion on the glassblower's back. "Yes, it is white." The wine glass lifted to his lips, the long awaited dark sweet liquid finally dancing across his taste buds.

[Eidolon]

As Chemar listened to the polite greetings from both of the men she smiled and leaned a little closer to Amon. "It seems I've lost my charm and am no longer a worthy dance partner." She offered a sly wink to Amon and continued after gathering her glass laden curls into a loose tail. "It is a pleasure to meet you both." She turned her attention back to Amon and offered a disarming smile. "Rae is as always, holed up in the shop. I really would have expected that one day she might shrug off that demur shroud of hers and start to join in, but she is far more at home interacting within the visions of our clients than she is speaking with them directly. I will tell her I saw you though, she'll be happy to hear you are well." Her eyes scanned the room, not moving at all away from the friendly and familiar hand at her waist. "It's a fine turnout this year, don't you think?" Again her gaze paused on the man outnumbered by two strong females, and she grinned happily. She leaned in close as though sharing a conspiracy with Amon. "What of that fellow.... do we think him outmatched... ?" As had become habit with the two friends, it was now time to access and be entertained by the participants, having some vicarious adventures while enjoying the company, wine and food. "Should we save him?" A wicked little glimmer flashed in Chemar's green eyes as she asked the question, stealing a sidelong glance at her partner in crime.

[Haya]

At Kovac’s initial answer, Haya might have felt a bit disappointed, but she had little time to be. She nearly choked on her wine in laughter at the words the halfblood hastely decided to add, needing to clamp her hand over her mouth to keep the liquid inside. She swallowed, and it was taking her a lot of effort to try and maintain her composure. The man’s words had sounded an awfull lot like an apology of some sorts for his earlier judgement, though she knew that was probably an interpretation way too much in her favour.

“That is surely... interesting to hear.” Haya muttered, biting her bottom lip to keep from smirking and unsure of what posture to give herself.
Luckely, Cyrill saved the situation from becoming awkward by asking another question, and Kovac greatfully made use of the opportunaty to divert his attention to her.

Haya studied Cyrill for a bit, shining glass beads hidden in red curls, her smile genuine but still a little reserved. The avora’s composed nature appeared to be Haya’s opposite, and it left her intrigued. The girl seemed intelligent, and with her last question being rather specific, Haya suspected her to be well upon her way towards figuring out what’s depicted on her medallion.